PANASONIC LUMIX ZS200 15X Leica DC Lens with Stabilization, 20.1 Megapixel, Large 1 inch Low Light Sensor (DC-ZS200S USA Silver)

The two uploaded photos are of the same section of landscape, one zoomed out (24mm) and the other fully zoomed in (360mm).Review:Got this to avoid carrying my dlsr and lenses on hikes, and to do time lapse of sunrises and sunsets.Step 1: Throw away the (junk/out of date) user guide in the box right after you open it once to scan the qr code to download the excellent user manual.Step2: Install (under the same cover as the battery) a 128gb or less SD cardStep 3: Charge the battery (charging port under the same small cover as the hdmi port)Step 4: Set the wheel to iA+ (fully automatic shutter speed/exposure f stop) and if desired set the drive mode to burst with burst speed set to slow (2 shots per second if/while you hold down the shuttter release).Step 5: Turn it on, point and shoot.What actually prompted me to make this purchase is that I went on a great hike with views where I took a good number of pictures with my (decent) Samsung A71 5G UW smartphone Camera, but afterward found that the pictures didn't have anywhere close to sufficient resolution to want to print - or even share, *especially the zoomed in ones* - which was painfully dissapointing.In comparison, the ZS200 displays markedly superior picture quality - staggeringly better when zoomed.(Among other things, a good lesson/reminder on the merits of optical vs. digital zoom).So far (10 days/1050 pictures later) I am overall quite pleased with this camera. The size, weight, picture quality and particularly the zoomed picture quality make the purchase price more than worth it for me. I remove the top portion of the camera case (not included, see below) when I go hiking, throw the cover strap over my shoulder and I'm finding it fairly quick to grab, turn on and shoot without having to remove the shoulder strap. After some practice, I find I am also able to do that one handed which is a plus, as I often have both my trekking poles in my other hand.All that is to say I think I'll have a fair chance to get some opportunistic/fleeting shots of wildlife using this setup if and when they present themselves.The camera does have a multitude of features and settings that I really haven't played with in the week or so since I got it, but it is quite a sophisticated piece of compact engineering.It's fairly deep into "real camera" territory for those who want to manage their own depth of field/shutter speed etc, so don't mistake it for the severely limited point and shoots of yesteryear.One note about time lapse that I couldn't find in the user manual:If you use a shot interval > 30 seconds for time lapse photography, the camera will retract the lens barrel every shot, darken the display, then extend the lens barrel and turn on the display for the next shot.I had to try different shot intervals to determine where the barrel stays put for the duration (<= 30 seconds) but when I originally set it to 150 shots at 1 minute intervals I observed the barrel extending and retracting each shot (150 times per time lapse series).I for one don't want to put that much wear and tear on the lens barrel stepper motor and parts, so I'll only use 30 seconds or less for a time lapse interval, but it seemed like something Panasonic should have spelled out in their manual (searched and couldn't find anything about that operation).Of note is I did have the lens set partially zoomed (~110mm) when I observed this, but I really don't believe that was a factor.Also bought and reccommendMini Tripod for Camera,Zomei Travel Table Tripod with 3-Way Pan/Tilt Head 1/4 inches Quick Release Plate and Bag for DSLR Camera(THIS TRIPOD IS ONLY 20.5" FULLY EXTENDED)SanDisk 128GB Extreme PRO SDXC UHS-I Card - C10, U3, V30, 4K UHD, SD CardMegaGear Ever Ready Genuine Leather Camera Case Compatible with Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS100, DC-ZS200(IF YOU LIKE LEATHER, RETRO STYLE COVERS)For me, the only downside (more aptly the cheap side) I will mention that the battery cover latch and the charging/hdmi port cover feel a bit flimsy to me, but I couldn't possibly justify dropping my review score by a star due to to those two largely aesthetic details.

Good small camera, lightweight. Good for travel.

I was searching for a travel camera with a big zoom and sensor larger than a 1/2.3 or 1/1.7 inch —one I would actually take on trips and not leave at home because it was just to big or heavy for packing light. (Phones work well for selfies and panoramas, but the photo quality is pretty limited.) The ZS200 is the small, light camera with a 15x zoom, 1” sensor, and WiFi for remote control and transfer of images to phones or tablets for posting or emails. Through blue tooth/WiFi, remote control of the camera w a phone works really well and allows you to get photos that your physical presence would preclude (see birds below). The burst shot and 4K options help in getting great single frames of action shots and in-camera editing options allow production of fabulous final products. I did buy an extra battery and separate charger, as otherwise the battery is charged by plugging in the camera. Rather than take the chance that a second market battery might not charge appropriately or safely in the camera, I bought the Panasonic brand ($$).Drawbacks—the ZS200 is not weatherproofed and the aperture does get small at the high zoom positions, limiting light capture. No camera met all my criteria! This was the best compromise.Note: It seems that when you pair your phone or ipad w the camera, you should put the camera in playback mode. Otherwise for me the pairing failed.

This camera takes great, high-quality photos, but the pathways you have to follow to get to various settings and functions are overwhelming, and once you're in one, it's not always easy to find out how to get out of it -- the end result is that I often find myself in a function or setting I can't get out of, and photo sessions end up being an exercise in frustration and missed shots. The instructions that came with the camera are inadequate, so I bought an independently written manual. It's about 200 pages long, which should give you a clue. This is the right camera for you if you already know a lot about photography or, if you don't, you're willing to buy an extra manual and spend many, many -- sometimes fruitless -- hours reading it.

I like a Bridge camera because they’re quick and don’t require carrying around various lenses. The quality of my images in Photoshop/Lightroom Classic are excellent . I’ts small and easy to carry on my belt where it is always handy when quickly needed.and has 24 - 360mm Zoom Lens making it very versatile!

I bought the ZS200 and basically liked the way it worked, BUT, it would lock up and I would have to reset to factory defaults. The only changes I made were to set on of the custom F "function" buttons to enable or disable the HDR feature, which it shows how to do in the owners manual. It worked fine for a while, then the HDR feature would not be available in any menu until I reset it.I called Panasonic and they were NO help, which is apparently a common complaint. Too bad because it is a nice camera and took great pictures when it was workingSony RX100 VI, here I come. :)